Method of building commutators for armatures.



V. G. APPLE.

METHOD OF BUILDING COMMUTATORS FOR ARIMTURE! APPLICATION FILED Mll- 22. l9l7- w u w m u x z 4 M w /\v we m 2 4) 4. Q a 2: P u, v m n. 1

V. 6. APPLE.

METHOD OF BUILDING C'OMMUTATORS FOB ARMATURES. APPLICATION mzo m4.22. 1911.

1,240,806. Patented Sept. 25,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

VINCENT G. APPLE, 0F DAYTON, OHIO.

HETHOD OF BUILDING GOMMUTATORS FOR ARMATURES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

I Application filed January 22, 1917. Serial No. 143,831.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Vnvonn'r G. APPLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Building Commutators for Armatures, of which the following is a specification.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a new and useful method of building commutators for armatures of dynamo-electric generators.

Other and further and more specific objects of my invention will become readily apparent, to persons skilledin the art, from a consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:--

Figure 1 shows a fragment of an armature with. the conductor terminals paired and projecting from the core in axial parallel planes.

Fig. 2 shows a metal clip in one of which each pair of conductors is to be inserted and which is to form an integral part of a commutator segment.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a fragment of the armature showing the terminal ends about to be formed into commutator segments.

Fig. 4 shows a water bosh, for carrying away the heat from the armature, that is used to weld and upset the wire terminals to the clips to form commutator segments.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the commutator end showing the clips appliedto thelten 'minals with separators between the clips.

Fig. 7 shows an end view of a portion of the finished commutator.

I Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of a finished commutator segment.

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

As a result of the pronounced improvements that have recently been made in dynamo-elec'tric machines, and due, to some extent, to the most excellent collecting brushes now used on commutators thereof, the life of the commutator has thereby been greatly extendec, equaling in durability, in many instances, the armature with which it is associated. The commutator, therefore, may consistently be made a concomitant part of the armature and to this end my invention relates.

In the exemplified embodiment which I have chosen to disclose my method of construction, 10 is the core of an armature through which the conductors pass or upon which they are supported.

I have shown two series of circumferentially extending coil terminals, the beginning and ending ends 11 and 12. In the structure shown the terminals 11 are circumferentially uniformly bent backward to pair With appropriate terminals 12 that are correspondingly bent forward.

The terminals are thus arranged in pairs in radial planes.

The meeting ends 13 of the terminals constituting a pair, are placed in circumferential, concentric relation and in planes parallel with the axis of the armature, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

A ring 14 of substantially non-oxidizable, non-welding, refractory material, and which has a melting point preferably higher than that of the material of which the commutator sections are to be made, such as nicrome, quartz, or the like, is provided with a series of radially-disposed depressions, or notches 15, spaced around the ring and open at its peripheral edge. These depressions are equal in number to spaces 16 sep arating adjacent pairs of terminals. These depressions are to receive the inner ends of separating plates 17. Another ring 18, of similar material, has an inner diameter equal to the ultimate diameter of the commutator to be constructed. It has as many radiallydisposed slots or openings 19 as there are depressions 15 in the ring 14.

Clips, 20, of copper, or other suitable metal, are tapered radially and appropriately for the diameter of the commutator, so as to leave parallel surfaces between adjacent clips. One of such clips is placed over the ends of each pair of armature terminals 13, leaving the extreme ends 13 projecting beyond. The ring 14: is now placed on the shaft 21 and moved until it is directly under the clips 20. The ring 18 is then placed over the conductors 11 and 12 and the clips 20 with their slots 19 in register With spacesl6 and depressions 15 of the ring 14. v

The separators 17 are now passed through the slots 19, of ring 18, through the spaces 16 and into the depression 15 in the ring 14.

To close the spaces 22 between the con ductors of each pair, at the inner ends of said spaces, a small plug or stopper 23, of suitable material, may be forced into said spaces, as shown in Fig. 5,,to prevent leak of molten metal.

When the concomitant parts of the commutator have been thus assembled and arranged, the ends 13 of the terminals are melted and the liquid metal is caused to flow into the clips, 20, in the spaces around the terminals 13, thus welding the terminals and clips into individual, homogeneous masses or commutator sections 24, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

To prevent the heat, that thus may otherwise be communicated to the armature and possibly destroy or injure its insulation, I carry this undesirable heat away from the armature, or dissipate it, in any suitable manner, as by use of a water bosh, as shown in Fig. 4.

A tank 25 contains water 26, or other suitable liquid. The armature 10 is submerged in the liquid and supported as by a block 27 leaving the commutator end projecting from the upper end of the tank. A suitable source of electric current, such as a battery B, is connected through a switch 28 to the tank 25, by a wire 29. The wire 30 is connected to a hand-manipulated electrode 31. The rings 14 and' 18 and the separators 17 may be connected to the tank 25 as by a wire 32.

When the circuit from the source of current is closed, by the electrode 31 being brought into contact with the terminal ends 13 in successive order, the latter will be melted and run down and fill up all of the interstices between the clip and its inclosed terminal ends.

The heat thus produced will sufliciently raise the temperature of the clips and inclosed terminals to render cohesion of the melted metal therewith and from them into one homogeneous mass or segment, such as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Instead of using the electric current for producing the necessary heat, it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that other sources of heat and different means of application may be used for the purpose described and within the contemplation of my invention.

After the commutator segments have been made in substantially the manner described,

the non-weldingseparators 17 are removed from the rings 14: and 18 of similar metal, and the rings removed from their positions.

1. Steps in the method of making a commutator for an armature which consists in pairing the conductor terminals; inclosing each pair of terminals in a clip having outlines of a commutator segment; welding the clips and terminals into masses forming respective commutator segments.

2. Steps in the method of making a commutator for an armature which consists in pairing the conductor terminals; inclosing each pair of terminals in a clip having outlines of a commutator segment; Welding the clips and terminals together formin respective commutator segments and ho ding the segments separated with insulating material.

3. Steps in the method of making a commutator for an armature which consists in pairing the conductor terminals; inclosing each pair of terminals in a clip having outlines of a commutator segment; welding the clips and terminals into masses forming respective commutator segments and submerging the armature in a liquid bosh to carry the heat away from the armature during the welding operation.

4;. Steps in the method of making a commutator for an armature which consists in pairing the conductor terminals; applying heat to form the terminals into commutator segments and coincidentally carrying the excessive heat away from tl1e armature by a moving, heat conducting fluid.

5. Steps in the method of making a commutator for an armature which conslsts 1n pairing the conductor terminals; inclosing each pair of terminals in a clip having outlines of a commutator segment; separating said segments by a non-welding plate; applying heat to the terminals and clips in vidually, to thereby form homogeneous commutator segments; removing the plates and substituting insulating material between adjacent segments.

6. Steps in the method of making a commutator for an armature which consists in pairing the conductor terminals; inclosing each pair of terminals in a clip having outlines of a commutator segment; holding said segments in a uniform circumferentially-extending plane by suitable ring supports; separating said segments by non-welding plates; held in place by said supports; ap-' plying heat to the terminals and clips individually to thereby form homogeneous commutator segments; coincidentally carrying excessive heat away from the armature by contacting, heat-conveying fluids; removing the plates and supports and substituting insulating materia between adjacent segments.

7. Steps in the method of making a commutator for an armature which consists in pairing the conductor terminals; inclosing each pair of terminals in a clip having the outline of a commutator segment; separating said segments by division walls; apply- 15 ing heat to each clip and inclosed terminals to weld same into a homogeneous mass.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing wit 

